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(No Model.) l 3 sheetsvsne'et 1.

E. P. MERWIN & W. E. BENNETT. v

BUTTON ATTAGHING MACHINE.

No. 369,069. PaL'enad Aug. 30, 1887.

N PETERS. Phnwumngnphr. wnmingwn. D. c.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Svheet 2. E. P. MERWIN & W. E. BENNETT'.

BUTTON ATTAGHING MACHINE. No. 369,069.

Patented Aug. 30, 1887. y

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. "1

- E. P.4 MBRWIN an W. E. BENNETT.

BUTTON ATTAGHING MACHINE.

No. 369,069. Patented Aug. 30, 1887,

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

EDWARD MERVVIN AND WALTER E. BENNETT, OF BOSTON, MASSA- cEUsETTs.

BUTTON-ATTACHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,069, dated August 30, 1887. Application tiled December 13, 1886. Serial No. 221,436. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD P. MEEWIN and WALTER E. BENNETT, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements in Button-Attaching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention has reference to machines for attaching buttons to shoes, fabrics, or other articles or things, and has for its particular object the production of a machine adapted to carry out the mode of attaching shoe-buttons to the button-pieces of boots or shoes by metallic fastenings, as described in the application of XV. E. Bennett, filed in the United States Patent Office J une80, 1886, Serial No. 206,674. 4, 'i

To the foregoing end our invention consists in means for inserting the end of awire in the eye of the button, severing such end and bending the part inserted in the button-eye in staple-like form therein, automatically feeding the button into position for the performance of this operation, feeding the button fory Ward to the material to be operated upon, forcing the staple through the leather or other material to which the button is to be attached, turning the ends of the staple-prongs around a cord or wire laid against the inner or under surface of the Work, and feeding the work forward from time to time to have the staple driven and the button attached to the proper point, all as we will now proceed to describe and claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,and to theletters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, of which drawings` y Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 represents a rear end view of a portion thereof', parts being shown as in section. Fig. 3 represents a front end view, parts being shown as broken away. Fig. 4 represents a top plan view. Fig. 5 represents a detail view, partly in section, ofthe devices immediately employed in severing the AWire inserted through the eye of the button and forming it into a staple therein. Fig. 6 represents a sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 represents a view similar to that shown in Fig. 6, but with the parts in a different position. Fig. 8 represents a sectional detail view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 3, showing the relationship of the parts just. previous to driving a staple and thus attaching a button. Fig. 9 represents a like sectional detail view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 represents a front View of the button supporting and guiding plate detached. Figs. 11 and 12 represent diagrams showing the manner in which the button is secured to a shoe, fabric, or other article or thing.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts wherever they occur.

In carrying out our invention we construct a suitable frame, consisting of the bed A and the standards B C, secured to or cast with lthe former, which supports the various operative parts of the machine.

a indicates the mai-n operating-shaft, suit .ablyjournaled in the standard B, and to which a rocking motion is imparted by a lever, b, secured to said shaft, and which lever may be operated by hand or any other suitable means to and fro, as indicated by the ar'row d. A lever, e, is fixed to the rear end of shaft a and extends upward therefrom, and pivotally connected with said lever e, toward its upper end, 4is a lever or link, g, also pivotallywconnected at its upper end to the rear end ofa lever, h, fulcrumed on a stud, i, secured in standard B.

To the upper end of lever c is pivoted a pawl, j, the free end of which is held by a spring, k, in engagement with the pins Z, projecting out from a disk, m, secu red ou the back end of a short shaft, 11jonrnaled in the upper part of standard B. To the forward end of shaft n is secured a disk, o, provided at intervals with holes'or apertures p, near its margin, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said disk ois arranged to revolve between a plate, q, forming the back wall of the button-hopper 9'-, and a plate, s, attached to an extension of the bottom of the hopper. In the operation ofthe main shaft a said lever will be moved so as to cause pawl j to act on pinsZ of disk m and, through the medium of short shaft @,intermittingly turn disk o in amanner that will be readily understood. An aperture is formed in the rear wall, g, of button-hopperr, at the bottom thereof, so that the holes p in disk o ICO will in the revolution of said disk be brought to registelwth said aperture in the wall q, permitting a button in the hopper r to drop through into each hole p of the disk o as the latter is revolved and be carried around to substantially the highest point of said disk, where, by reason of the rearwardly-inclined form of the hole p, it will fall over the upper edge of plate s on the raceway t, provided with a slot, u, for the reception of the eye of the button.

The means described for carrying the button from the hopper to the raceway is such as is calculated to place it in proper position-in said raceway for the operations to be presently described.

Fulcrumed near its center on a pin, t, in ears or lugs w of standard B is a lever, rc, provided at its lower end with an anti-friction roller, y, adapted in the oscillation of cam z, iixcd on shaft a, to come in contact with the inclined part a', formed on the side of said cam e, and so rock said lever w in one direction, as indicated by the arrow, Fig. 2, the spring b above its fulcrunn-point serving to move it in the opposite direction. Lever mis provided at its upper end with a pawl, c', having a limited movement in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4, and held backward in the position in which it is represented iny said figure by a spring, rl'. Said pawl c is constructed to engage a wire, e', guided in suitable ways, and,as lever x is rocked on its fulcrum, feed said wire along the distance of the movement of the free end of the pawl. A holding-pawl, f', pivoted on a bracket, g', secured to the frame and held in engagement with the wire e by a spring, g, serves to hold the wire from being moved back by pawl c as said latter pawl returns to take afresh hold on the wire to again feed it forward.

Fulcrumed on standard B at h is an elbowlever, i', the rear end of which is provided with an anti-friction roller, j', and held in engagement with the face of cam z by a spring, It. Said lever i is bifurcated at its forward end, as at Z, and extends under and forms a substantial continuation of track-plate t, bifurcation Z answering to slot u in said trackplate. Lever i is also provided on its forward end with a pin or projection, m', adapted as said lever is raised to catch under the free end of a spring-stop or cut-o gate, a', adapted, when in its normal position, to stop the buttons as they slide down track t and to let one button pass when it is raised, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 5.

The arrangement and timing of the parts is such that when lever t" is so rocked on its fulcrum as to raise its forward end, as represented in Figs. 5 and 6, a button will pass stop-gate n', and its eye will drop through bifurcation l in the end of said lever i and rest on the top of saddle-strip o', directly opposite, or registering with the end of wire c', so that as said wire is fed along through its guidebearing p', by the operation of pawl c, it will pass through the eye of the button directly under the end of lever i', (see Fig. 6,) which now moves downward with its forward edge in close contact with guide-bearing p', c uts or shears the wire at this point, and bends it in the eye of the button in staple-like form over the saddle-strip o', as shown in Fig. 7, down which the button and staple new slide as the forward end of lever z" rises to a second feed or stop gate, Q', on the lower end of saddlestrip o', as seen mest clearly in Fig. 8, when the staple is driven and the button secured to the work, which operation and the means for accomplishing it will next be described. It is iirst to be mentioned, however, that if it should happen that a button fails to be presented te the devices for feeding the wire, severing the same, and bending it into the form of astaple, this latter operation would take place notwithstanding the fact that there was no button in position into the eye of which the wire would be passed. It is necessary therefore that this staple should not be presented to the driving means, and to avoid this we eut through saddle-strip o', j ust above stopgate q, a slot, o3, as shown in Fig. 5, which permits a staple not supported by a button to drop through said slot from the saddle-strip o'.

The forward end of lever 7L is loosely connected at r with the staple-driving slide s', suitably guided in ways formed on the front end of standard B, to the lower end of which slide s is affixed the staple-driver t', adapted in its descent to strike squarely on the top of IOO the staple in the eye of the button in position thereunder, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Lever h is rocked upon its fuleruin to effect the movement of the staple-driver, as has been described, by the operation of the parts c and g, acting as toggle-levers to raise and lower' the rear end of said lever h in a way that will be understood without further explanation.

The work to which the buttons are to be sccured is placed upon the feed-dog u', supported on the work-horn o', attached to and projecting upward and outward from the standard G, and on the end of said horn is arranged the staple-clinching anvil w', provided with a guiding eye and slot, x', for the cord y', around which the ends of the staple are to be clinched. Anvil w is also provided with two slots, z z', extending transverse to slot x', which slots z are rounded at their bottoms and so arranged as to fall directly under the ends of the staple when the latter is in position to be driven7 as shown in Figs. S and 9. A slot, a, (see Figs. 4 and 9,) is formed in the presser-foot to permit the staple, after being driven through the work D, to pass through to the anvil w and have its ends bent or clinched around the cord y by contact with the curved lower sides of the slots z z.

Providing the anvil with a guide slot or eye for the cord, tape, or Wire, as well as for the prongs of the staples, so that thelatter can be IIO seaoes 3 driven through or around the cord, tape, or wire, and secured thereto,is animportantfeature of the invention.

4 As the staple-driving slide s descends to drive the staple, a horn, a?, on said slide, extending rearwardly through a slot, b2, comes in contact with a lug, c2, on the forward end of feed or stop gate q,'held in the position in which it is shown in Fig. l by a spring, d2, and depresses said gate, permitting a single button with its attached staple to pass and slide down off the end ofsaddle-strip o,where the prongs of the staple fall into guide-slots e2 c2, slightly inclined at their sides, formed in the adjacent portion f2 of the frame, as shown in Fig 9, the button dropping over and falling o ut through the eye or aperture g2, formed in the button guiding and supporting plate h2, (shown in detail in Fig. 10,) attached to the front of the portion f2 of the frame. This brings a button and its associated staple into position to be driven, as before explained. The slot i2(shown as extending down from the aperture gin plate is for the purpose of permitting the eye in thebutton to pass when the staple is driven.

After a staple has been driven to attach a button, as explained, it becomes necessary to feed the work D along before the staple-driver again descends, and this is accomplished .in the present instance as I will now proceed to describe. Y

Feed-dog u is integrally formed or otherwise connected with a rod or bar, j?, fulcrumed on the upper end of a bracket, x2, attached to standard C, and pivoted at its outer or forward end, as at k2, to the upper end of a bar or rod, Z2, fulcrumed on a stud, m2, adjustable vertically in a slot, n2, formed in lugs or ears o2 on standard C. Said rod Z2 is loosely connected at its lower end with the forward end of a lever, p2, fulcrumed in a chair, g2, having its bearings in the bed A. By this construction lever 192 may be moved laterally on chair q2 and rocked vertically on its fulcrum-pin r2 in said chair. At its rear end lever p2 extends upward, and is provided at its extremity with a bowl Vor anti-friction roller, s2, adapted to roll in contact with the face of cam tz on main shaft a, and a finger, lU2, extends out to the side of the rollers'z, so as to be engaged by the inclined projection 102 on the side of cam t2. (See Figs. 1 and 4..) By this construction, as cam t2 is operateda four motion7 movement will be imparted to the forward end of lever p2 and communicated through bar or rod ZZ to feed-bar j2 and its dog u', and thus at the proper moment effect the feed of the work.

To eect the proper clamping of the work between the feed-dog a (which in this instance may be regarded as the presser-foot also) and the parts thereabove at the time the staple is being driven, the work-horn o is made movable vertically, and this movement upward is effected at the proper moment by means of a lever, y2, loosely connected at its forward end,

as at i, with the lower end of the work-horn c', vertically guided in standard G. Said lever y2 is fulerumed on a pin, yt, extending through lugs or projections g5, formed on or secured to the bed A, and is provided on its rear end with a bowl or anti-friction wheel, z2, adapted to roll in contact with the face of a cam, a3, fixed on shaft a, which cam ai imparts the requisite movement to lever y2 at the proper moment to effect the requisite vertical motion of the work horn hereinbefore referred to.

After a button has once been secured to the work D and cord y bythe operation of the mechanism, as hereinbefore set forth, and as shown in Figs. Il and 12, as the work is fed along, cord y will be carried with it through the eye in the anvil w', provided for said cord.

In Figs. 1 and I we have shown a small lever, b, pivoted at c3 on the raceway tand held back in Contact with a notched cam-piece, d3, secured to lever h, so that as said lever is oscillated it will impart an oscillating motion to small lever b3, and thus brush back into the hopper r any buttons that may by chance have fallen in improper position on the raceway, sincesome part of such improperly-placed buttons will of necessity extend above the path of movement of said lever b3, while those buttons in proper position will be below the line of movement of said lever b3 and be unaffected thereby, as is clearly represented in Fig. 1.

The operation of the machine has been so fully set forth in the description of the construction, arrangement, and relationship of the various parts as not to require further explanation herein.

It is obvious that the precise form and arrangement of parts herein shown are not essential to our improvements, as those may be varied within t-he limits of mechanical skill Without departing from the nature or spirit'of the invention.

Having t-hus described our inven-tion,`jwhat we claim isj 1. In a button-attaching machine, an oscillating lever provided on-its free end with a 'pawl or dog adapted to engage a wire to feed it through the eye of a button, a guide and vSo IOC

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support for the wire, a second oscillating lever Y bifurcated at one of its ends to engage the wire on both sides of the eye of the button and ar- 'ranged to move in close proximity to the Wire guide or support to shear or cut the wire at this point, and a support for the eye of the button, on both sides of which the bifurcated end of the latter lever is adapted to move to bend the wire into staple-like form in the eye of the button, all constructed, combined, and arranged substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. As a means for severing the portion of a wire extended through the eye of a button and bending the same into the form of a staple or loop therein, a guide or support for the wire, an oscillating lever, z", bifurcated at one of its ends, as at Z', and adapted to engage the wire on both sides of the eye of the button, and arranged to move in close proximity to said wire guide or support to shear or cut the wire at this point, and a support for the oye of the button, on bolli sides of which the bifurcatcd end of said lever is adapted to move to bend the wire into staple-like form in the eye ofthe button, constructed, combined, and operating substantially as hcreinbcferc set forth.

In a button-setting machine, a button raceway, stop-gate a', oscillating lever i', provided with the bifurcation Z and pin or projection m', wire guide or rest p', and saddlestrip o', combined and operating substantially as and for the purposes hcrciubeforc set forth.

4. As a means for feeding a wire through the eye of a button, an oscillating lever, .aprovidcd with a dog or pawl, c', adapted to engage the wire and feed it forward, a guide for the wire, a second dog or pawhf', adapted to cngage the wire and prevent it from being drawn back as the oscillating lever returns to have its dog take a fresh hold on the wire, and a support for said second dog or pawl, all combined and operating substantially as and for the purposes hercinbefore set forth.

5. In a bnttonsetting machine, oscillating lever x, provided with the dog or pawl c, pawl f and its support, a guide, p, for the wire, oscillating lever i', provided with the bifurcation Z', and saddle strip 0, all combined and operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

6. In a button-setting machine,l a buttonhopper, walls or plates q s, rcvoluble disk o, provided with the holes or apertures p, and raceway t, all combined and operating substantially as and for the purposes h creinbelore set forth.

7. In a button setting machine, a buttonhopper, a button-raecway, lever b, and oscillating lever l1, provided with the cam-piece d, all combined, arranged, and operating substantially as and for the purposes hcrcinbefore set forth.

S. In a buttonsctling machine, a support for the work, a guide and support for the button and wire loop or staple in the eye of the same, a clinchinganvil provided with slots having curved bottoms for receiving the prongs of the loop or staple to clinch the same, andan eye or slot extending transversely of the rst mentioned slots to guide a cord or wire around which the prongs ofthe staples maybeclinched, and a reciprocating slide adapted to engage the upper end of the staple on both sides of the button-eye and drive said staple, all constructed, combined, and operating substanlially as and for the purposes hcreinbelore set orth.

ascesa f). In a button-setting machine, the saddlestrip o', stop-gate q', provided with the projection o", spring d, and reciprocating slide s, provided with the horn a2, whereby the staple in a button is driven and the stop-gate may be operated to admit another button and its attached staple to position to be operated upon', all combined and operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbcfore set forth.

l0. rlhe frame f2, provided with the guideslots 6* c2, having slightly-inclined sides, and the button supporting and guiding plate 71.2, provided with the aperture g2 and slot t, constructed, arranged, and combined substantially as and for the purposes hcreinbefore set forth.

1l. A vertically-movablc work-supporting horn, a guide therefor, a lever, y, fulcrumed on the bed of the machine and loosely connected at one end with said worksupporting horn for movingit vertically, the main shaft, and an oscillatory cam, a, thereon, engaging the other end of said lever to operate it, cour bined and constructed substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

12. A work-supporting horn,ai`eeddog and its bar supported thereon, a bracket to which said feed-dog is pivoted and on which pivot it is adapted to slide, a bar loosely connected atits upper end with said feed-dog bar and in like manner connected at its lower end with a lever, the bed of the machine, a-chair, q2, pivoted on said bed, said lever being fulcrumed on said chair, and an oscillating cam engaging the other end of said lever to move it on its fulcrum in the chair and move the chair on its pivot, combined and operating as and for the purposes set forth.

13. In abutton-attaching machine, a buttonraceway having the saddle-strip o', over which the prongs of the wire loop or staple are adapted to depend, provided with the slot o, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

1i. In a button-attaching maehine,a clinching-anvil provided with a guide slot or slots for guiding and clinching the prongs of the staple, and a transvere guide eye or slot, rv', for the cord or wire, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 4th day of De ccniber, 1886.

' EDWARD r. MnnwiN. XVALTER E. BENNETT.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. CnossLnY, A. D. UAinusoN.

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